The Girl Who Heard Whispers

"Lady Arcien! It’s been such a long time!"

"Indeed. Lady Valeria. How have you been?"

"You remembered me!"

"Of course."

This was the garden where the Cardion family’s tea party was being held. As a family of mages, the Cardions rarely hosted social gatherings, but this time was an exception. Serian Cardion. A talent that had descended upon the Cardion family like a comet. Who wouldn't want to catch a glimpse of a future Archmage?

This tea party was a concession by the head of the Cardion family, who had finally succumbed to the pressure of surrounding nobles to satisfy their curiosity. Under normal circumstances, Arcien would never have attended such a party, but it had been a direct order from her father, Theodore Harben. She harbored a secret she could tell no one—not even her own family. A persistent headache that felt like she was being stabbed by spears. And another voice.

'Stop...!'

At first, she thought it was just auditory hallucinations. But the voice spoke to her like a friend.

'Who are you?'

Whenever Arcien struggled during sword training, the voice would cheer her on from the sidelines.

Words of encouragement echoed in her mind. Even on the day she lost to her much younger brother, Yurion.

"Can I really do it...?"

Yurion Harben was a genius. He possessed a talent rare even in the Harben family, a house of swordsmen. In contrast, Arcien fell far short of that mark.

The encouragement from the friend in her head became an unshakeable pillar for Arcien. Even when others told her to give up the sword, Rosalia never tired of cheering her on. But the moment Rosalia turned, it happened in an instant.

It was their eighth duel with Yurion.

Clang-!

"Sister! Are you okay?!"

Yurion continued to grow through their duels. In the first, he had shown the spark of a genius, but he was still immature. As time passed, however, Yurion’s technique became so sharp that Arcien could no longer hope to match him. And now, in the eighth duel, she had been defeated not by technique, but by sheer physical strength. The moment their swords clashed, a powerful vibration surged through Arcien’s blade, causing it to fly from her hand. At that moment, her vision blurred at the realization of her mistake.

"Arcien-!"

The duels between Arcien and Yurion were always conducted under the supervision of their father, the head of the Harben family, Theodore Harben. Until now, Theodore had never shown anger even when Arcien lost.

"Did you drop your sword?"

"This was a mistake...!"

"A swordsman calling it a mistake!"

Thud-!

The moment Arcien tried to offer a small excuse, Theodore Harben stomped his foot hard.

"Did I teach you that a swordsman is allowed to make such excuses!"

"No, Father."

"Not only were you defeated, but you offer excuses. I must have taught you very, very wrongly. I am disappointed."

Disappointed. It was a word that had never once passed Theodore’s lips.

"I can win if we do it again! Just one more time!"

It was a lie. In the next duel, after her strength had waned, she would be defeated even more thoroughly. If she was already behind in both technique and physical strength, there was no way for her to beat Yurion. If Yurion went easy on her, Theodore would notice and scold him even more. As it stood, there was no way for Arcien to win. But she lied, desperate to take back the word "disappointed" from her father’s mouth.

"Do you not even know your own level now?"

Contempt, surpassing disappointment. He wore an expression that no father should ever show his child.

"From now on, I will not watch your duels. See that you understand."

He slammed the training hall door shut and walked out. Yurion and Arcien were left behind.

"Sister..."

Yurion reached out a hand of comfort and encouragement, but—

Slap-!

That hand never touched her. Arcien brushed Yurion’s hand away and retreated into her room.

"Ha..."

A series of actions she never would have taken under normal circumstances. Usually, she would have been the one to comfort Yurion, but today, she simply couldn't.

"I should apologize when I go back..."

"..."

"What do you mean?"

"..."

She had no words. The expression her father had worn while looking at her—it was a look she had never seen before.

"Even so, there is nothing I can do."

Elsewhere, she was revered as a noble lady, but in front of her father, she was nothing more than a young girl starving for love.

"Rosalia. What should I do?"

At first, she had asked for Rosalia’s opinion just wanting encouragement and comfort.

"How?"

"...That child?"

"What?"

"Stop!"

Rosalia’s tone was a little different than usual. It was the voice of an excited child. But within it lay something chilling. With that youthful voice, she whispered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Arcien about Yurion.

"That’s not the problem. Yurion is just my precious younger brother. This is a problem I must overcome myself."

"..."

From this day on, Rosalia’s voice toward Arcien grew louder. At first, the targets were limited to Yurion and her father, but—

The targets gradually shifted to the mansion’s servants, and eventually, to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those around her. She began to pick fights with passing maids, the butler, and even the chefs.

"My Lady. Are you not training today?"

"...I’m going to rest today."

After the defeat that day, Arcien’s sword training sessions grew less frequent. 'I can't win anyway.' She would only watch Yurion train. And as time passed, he grew stronger. Yurion, who had been standing a few steps ahead, was now running in a place Arcien couldn't hope to follow while she had set her sword aside for a few months. After that, those who spoke to Arcien about sword training disappeared.

"It is no longer time to worry about things that don't suit you, like sword training. Do not forget your role."

"Yes..."

"I will find you a marriage partner. Prepare to participate in the Cardion family’s social gathering."

The shining talent, Serian Cardion’s tea party. Nobles participated in her party to catch her eye. If it were the original Arcien, she would have used sword training as an excuse not to go.

"Understood."

There was no other path now anyway. The expectations of those around her, and the disappointment of the father she desired most. It was enough to break Arcien. At the point where her will completely collapsed, Rosalia’s whispers grew stronger.

Now, even pretending not to know was becoming exhausting. It felt as if not just the voice, but Rosalia’s emotions were transferring to her. When she was unable to focus at the Cardion tea party and was clutching her head because of the throbbing pain—

"Hello. It is an honor to meet you! Lady Arcien."

"...It is an honor to meet you as well. Lady Serian."

A physique much smaller than Yurion’s. Her bright blonde hair and sunny smile showed just how happily she had lived her life.

"You must have had a hard time coming such a long way. I hope you have a good time."

The sight of a young child forcing herself to act like an adult was truly cute.

"It is a chance to see the light of Cardion. What could be hard about that?"

"Thank you for saying so."

After exchanging a few words, she sent Serian off to others. Her gait was like a toddler’s, making cute sounds with every step. How much love must she have received?

'Be quiet.'

The moment she sent Serian away, Rosalia’s voice tightened around her entire body. It was a murderous impulse she hadn't even felt when looking at Yurion. Hiding the murderous impulse toward her brother had been easy enough; the impulse toward him was just a bit uncomfortable, but the impulse toward Serian felt like every hair on her body was standing on end. The urge to pick up a fork from the table and stab it into her slender neck made her head spin.

'This won't do...!'

She felt like she wouldn't be able to suppress this impulse if she stayed in the party hall any longer.

"Is there perhaps a place where I could rest?"

"My Lady, are you not feeling well?"

"No. It’s just that my head hurts a little..."

"Oh no...! I will bring the family’s personal healer! Please wait just a moment!"

She felt like she would swing her fist the moment a healer touched her body to examine her. Leaving the flustered maid behind, she moved her body in a hurry. Walking without knowing where she was going, when she came to her senses, she was at a lake with an open view. Watching the lake blankly, the impulse that seemed to control Arcien’s body calmed down a little. Her feelings toward Serian hadn't completely faded, but if she dragged this out any longer, the knights might move to find her.

It was when Arcien was about to move her body.

Whoosh-!

The sound of a sword being swung. Although she had set the sword aside for quite a long time, she remembered this sound clearly. It wasn't strong, but it was a steady sound. The child visible beyond the bushes was a boy who looked a little younger than Arcien. His bright blonde hair was identical to Serian Cardion’s, whom she had seen earlier.

Lumiant Cardion. He was a boy about whom rumors had been circulating little by little. A dunce of the Cardion family who was beyond lacking talent—he was talentless. Surrounding nobles had already begun to whisper. Even at the tea party, stories about him had circulated.

'Where is Young Master Lumiant...?'

'Young Master Lumiant is not feeling well right now...'

The reason people expected him not to be at the party was inferiority. It was a common occurrence. There were always those who avoided the spotlight because of their lack of talent. Arcien herself had been unable to shake off Rosalia’s voice for that very reason.

It wasn't a flashy swordsmanship. In fact, it was a skill far worse than Arcien’s before she had set her sword down. But his sword looked honest. An unwavering sword path. It wasn't strong right now, but it felt like he would achieve some kind of accomplishment someday. She watched Lumiant swinging his sword blankly. Lumiant, who had been swinging his sword diligently, carefully set it down, lay on a mat, and looked up at the sky. His expression was different from Arcien’s. Unlike Arcien, who always lived life without room to breathe, he looked up at the sky with an expression as if he possessed the whole world.

Perhaps his situation was even more desperate than Arcien’s. Unlike her, who was a woman, he was the eldest son, and Serian’s talent even surpassed Yurion’s. Yet, how could he wear such an expression? He stuffed a sandwich into his mouth while lying down, then began training again. Just as she was watching him blankly for some reason—

"May? Is the tea party over?"

He began to walk toward the bushes where Arcien was hiding.